Not my job to instruct anyone to place wreaths: Satheesan

Kochi: Opposition leader V D Satheesan on Saturday brushed aside health minister Veena George's allegation that it was the former who had instructed Youth Congress workers to stage a ‘wreath protest' at her residence over the surgical lapse incident at Alappuzha medical college hospital (MCH). "Is that my only job?" the opposition leader asked. "That is not our means of agitation. And my job is not to instruct anyone to place wreaths at the houses of ministers," he told reporters while leading UDF's Puthu Yuga Yatra in Kochi. Satheesan even asked if the earlier attack by DYFI activists at Cantonment House, his official residence in Thiruvananthapuram, and his private residence in Paravur were done with the knowledge of the ministers. "The DYFI activists destroyed plant pots and other things at my official residence. They assaulted visitors at my private house and caused damage to properties. Yet, no cases were registered against them," he said, adding that he personally disagrees with protests at the private residences of ministers. "Instead of initiating action against the attackers, the police had then registered non-bailable cases against those present inside my house and those who had come to submit representations," Satheesan added. Earlier in the day, Veena George accused Satheesan of directing the Youth Congress workers to carry out the ‘attack' at her residence. "Kerala should listen to this. The attack at my residence was carried out as per the direction of the opposition leader," she alleged. Seeks judicial probe into tanthri's arrest Meanwhile, Satheesan demanded a high court-monitored probe into the arrest of Sabarimala Tanthri Kandararu Rajeevaru. He called the 40-day imprisonment of the tanthri as a "politically motivated conspiracy" designed to shield CPM from mounting allegations. Satheesan also challenged the special investigation team probing the Sabarimala gold scam to provide concrete evidence regarding the tanthri's alleged involvement in the case. He argued that the arrest was weaponized by CPM ministers to bolster the chief minister's image.